Nehushta (Hebrew, NChShThN, "brass object") is the serpent
of brass made by Moses
and placed on a pole (Numbers 21:8-9) to cure the Israelites of the venomous
bites of the fiery serpents in the wilderness. The word Nehushtah "thing
of brass" contains a Hebrew pun, the first three letters, NChSh, mean
"serpent" and the final two, ThN, mean "dragon."

In Christian
interpretation, the lifting up of the brass serpent on a pole is generally
held to be a prefigurement of Christ, to cure humanity from the "snakebite"
of original sin. By Hebrew gematria there is some basis for this assumption,
the numerical value of MShICH, "Messiah" and NChSh "serpent"
are identical, 358.

During the first and second centuries CE the serpent was worshipped with
reverence by the Christian Gnostic
sects of the Ophites
and Naasseners. These
sects worshipped the Biblical serpent of the Garden of Eden that gave knowledge
to Adam
and Eve. The serpent was considered the hero because he supplied "gnosis"
to the first people which God, considered the demiurge, kept from them.

Some magical theorists claim that Nehushtan, the brass serpent, resides
in the upper astral
plane possesses redemptive powers while Nachash,
the serpent of the Tree of Knowledge, resides in the lower astral and possesses
negative powers. A.G.H.